1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape dispenser for applying pressure sensitive tape to a substrate surface. The dispenser is provided with a cutter for the tape and a plurality of rollers that smoothly and evenly feed and apply the tape onto the substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A roll of adhesive tape typically is mounted in a dispenser. The tape roll is usually a palm sized roll. Such a dispenser includes at least one side wall aligned substantially perpendicular to the axis of the spool. The side wall includes structure for rotatably maintaining the spool in the dispenser. Such a tape dispenser further includes an exposed metal or plastic serrated cutting blade. The cutting blade is mounted to a portion of the dispenser spaced from the spool and is aligned parallel to the rotational axis of the spool. A portion of the tape is may be supported and releasably retained on the cutting blade of the dispenser.
The tape may be used by grabbing a portion of the tape with a thumb and forefinger at a location between the spool and the cutting blade. The tape is then separated from the cutting blade and pulled relative to the dispenser. The pulling force causes the spool to rotate in the tape dispenser, and permit the tape to be dispensed. After a sufficient length of tape has been pulled from the spool, the user then engages a portion of the tape slightly beyond the cutting blade and urges the tape against the cutting blade with sufficient force to sever the tape at a location adjacent the cutting blade. The severed section of tape then is applied to a substrate as needed. Portions of the tape on the spool side of the cutting blade will remain adhered to the cutting blade for the next dispensing operation.
Generally, the user has to visually assess the length of tape required when severing the tape before applying the tape to a surface such as a package or letter. Such visual assessment is rarely accurate and the tape length severed is either too long or too short. Also, in transporting the length of tape to the point-of-use, the tape may twist or crinkle leading to an untidy package closure or letter seal. Finally, it is necessary as a separate step to press the tape firmly into position against the package or envelope. It is thus very difficult through the use of conventional tape dispensers to get the exact length of adhesive tape that you need applied to the exact location you want. Other problems associated with such prior art dispensers are that the end of the tape always remains in an exposed and the exposed cutting blade can be hazardous, particularly to children
Still further, such prior art tape dispensers are not well suited for single-handed use. In particular, a small tape dispenser must be gripped by one hand while the other hand engages the tape and pulls the tape from the blade and beyond the dispenser. The one hand remains on the dispenser and the other hand remains on the tape as the tape is severed. The two-handed dispensing of tape can be carried out fairly easily with a small tape dispenser and for a small piece of tape (e.g., 1–2 inches). In particular, the hand that pulls the tape typically will not have to be repositioned to urge the tape against the blade. The dispensing becomes much more difficult if a longer piece of tape is required. In particular, to dispense a long piece of tape, the tape is first grabbed between the blade and the spool and separated from the blade. The user then pulls a sufficient length of tape from the spool and urges the tape against the blade. The hand that has pulled the tape then must be removed from the free end of the tape to engage the tape at a location closer to the blade. This causes the free end of the tape to move, often in response to electrostatic forces. The free end of the tape often will adhere to itself or to an unintended surface.
The above-described complications can be avoided with a large heavy tape dispenser that has a broad base. This type of prior art tape dispenser can be supported without being gripped manually. Hence, the tape can be pulled from the dispenser with one hand, thereby leaving the other hand free for some other purpose, such as holding the object to be taped. Additionally, two hands can be employed, if necessary, to hold both ends of a long piece of tape. However, such a solution still suffers from the usual disadvantages of such dispensers.
Another disadvantage of these prior art dispensers is that the user must manually grip the adhesive surface of the tape at least once to dispense the tape. This manual gripping reduces the adhesiveness of the tape and may transfer soil from the finger to the adhesive side of the tape. The soil, often in the form of a fingerprint, remains on the tape and may be visible on the object to which the tape is applied.
Still further, it is often desirable to apply the tape directly from the dispenser to the object being taped. The large heavy prior art tape dispenser that is suitable for some single-handed use cannot conveniently be positioned adjacent the object to which the tape is to be applied. The lighter weight disposable tape dispenser can be manipulated fairly easily. However, these dispensers are not well suited to direct application of the tape from the dispenser to the object being taped. In particular, the tape can not be fed smoothly onto the surface and pressed into adhesive contact therewith. At best the application is sporadic and two hands are required, i.e., one to hold the dispenser close to the surface and the other to hold the tape onto the substrate to pull the tape from the roll and press it onto the surface.
The following references describe some of the known prior art dispensers:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,968 to Marcuse et al. describes a paper towel dispenser having several feed rollers operatively engaged with each other to permit the hand removal of a predetermined length of toweling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,781 to Domeny describes an attachment to a tape dispenser that has a thumb-operated knurled roller on the attachment for engaging and feeding the tape or optionally to permit the tape to be pulled out of the dispenser independently of the roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,059 to Link describes a tape dispenser that has a guide passage between the chamber in which a roll of tape is retained and the exterior. Oppositely acting ridges in the guide passage exert a holding effect on the tape to keep a free end available to be engaged by the user. A stationary external cutter is pressed against the tape to cutoff a measured length or to cut the tape adjacent where it adheres to the surface to which it is attached. Other forms of the device employ an internal cutter, one of which is manually pressed into cutting engagement with the tape and another of which is snapped into cutting engagement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,280 to Inka describes a tape container and dispensing apparatus formed of plastic material that has a finger operated knurled knob for advancing the tape to dispense a strip of any desired length and a scissors-like shearing means integrally formed therewith a to cut the tape strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,167 to Stusack et al. describes a single hand operated device for dispensing a desired length of tape from a supply reel. The tape is rotatably supported in a housing and fed out by means of a hand operated drive wheel. The housing also contains a knife which is manually actuable in the direction of the tape to cut the tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,084 to Morikami et al. describes an adhesive tape case having a cutter that is fixed adjacent to a tape outlet of the case body. In addition, two rollers driven through two gears are provided for advancing a length of tape to the tape outlet. The gears are driven by the manual operation of an operational knob through a rack plate. The rack plate is adapted to engage with one of the gears when moving forward and to separate therefrom when moving backward.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,71 to Wirtz-Odenthal describes an apparatus for dispensing an apportioned length of paper towel from a roll and automatically cutting the length from the roll with a knife.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,233 to Lin describes an automatic tape cutter/sticker that includes a bottom shell body, a main shell body pivoted to the bottom shell body and turned in and out of aside opening on the bottom shell body, the main shell body having an annular tube, which holds an adhesive tape, and an arched spring plate, which is mounted in the annular tube and having two opposite ends extended out of respective slots on the annular tube to hold the adhesive tape in place, a rotary cutter holder with a cutter blade rotated by the main shell body to cut the free end of the adhesive tape, a rotary guard plate rotated by the main shell body in the reverse of the rotary cutter holder to close/open a tape outlet notch slot on the bottom shell body, and a cover plate covered on the bottom shell body, the cover plate having coupling means at one end hinged to one side of the bottom shell body, and hook means at an opposite side for hooking in a hook hole at an opposite side of the bottom shell body.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,884 to Chan describes an adhesive tape dispenser that has a lower compartment with a bottom aperture and a cutting blade at one side of the aperture. A length of tape is dispensed through the aperture and severed by the blade. During dispensing, a pressure roller, mounted adjacent the aperture, is pressed down to press the tape firmly against an external surface and to space the tape away from the cutting blade during dispensing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2002/0069974 to Niermann describes a tape dispenser that includes a tape roll chamber with a hub having an axis about which a roll of tape rotates. A tape dispensing channel that extends from the tape roll chamber is configured to twist the tape approximately 90 degrees about its longitudinal axis. A window is defined near the end of the tape dispensing channel to enable an index finger to apply pressure to the non-adhesive surface of the tape for urging the adhesive surface of the tape against a substrate. A blade support wall is disposed distally of the window and includes a serrated blade for severing the tape. The lower surface of the blade support wall is arcuately configured for urging the tape into secure adhesion with the substrate.